Does Reducing Toilet Paper Use Make a Difference?

Too much toilet paper use impacts the environment

Control-n-Roll is a product designed to conserve paper, reducing waste and saving money. Why does it matter if you use a product as basic as this?

Much research has been done to help us understand what will happen to our world if people disregard the important role we play in conserving, and thereby protecting, our natural resources. One of the most talked about ways to help save planet Earth is to reduce paper waste. From paying bills online to reusing junk mail for craft projects, there are abundant resources providing ideas and suggestions to support and encourage your paper-saving effort.

A closer look at toilet paper waste and the environment

First, let’s look at effect on the environment. According to a study reported in The Toilet Paper Encyclopedia, on average, consumers use 8.6 sheets of toilet paper per trip. That’s an annual total of 20,805 sheets. Using Control-n-Roll reduces the amount of toilet paper used in the average home by about 50%. That’s over 10,000 sheets of paper per person! If every household in the U.S. cut back TP consumption by 50%, that would translate to a huge reduction in pollution caused by manufacturing. And, as global toilet paper production consumes 27,000 trees daily, fewer trees would be removed from the world’s forests for toilet paper. If those trees are grown on tree plantations, reducing waste would reduce the quantity of water required to operate these plantations, the fertilizers and chemicals used in the growing process, and the impact these industrial monoculture farms have on indigenous plant and animal life.

Second, a reduction in personal paper consumption saves money. Using just the common statistics for toilet paper, each person in the USA uses approximately 100 rolls per year. That calculates to about 57 sheets per day per person. With the current price of toilet paper averaging 67 cents per roll, the annual price of that paper would be $67 per person. A family of four would spend about $268 per year. Installing a product that provides control over how much paper is used each time, (a product like Control-n-Roll), can reduce daily consumption by 50% or more. That’s an individual savings of $33 per person per year. In our family of four example, that saves $132 per household!

Taking small steps, like reducing toilet paper use, can make a difference to the environment and your bank account.